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Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
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Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
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Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
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Service Application Manual
SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
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Section 2A
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SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
Figure 1G applies to HFC-134a, the subject of this text. Figures 2 through 7 use the HFC-134a
pressure-enthalpy diagram to show the information available from such diagrams when their
potential is understood. This means that some lines are omitted in Figures 2 through 7 (the
complete diagram is shown in Figure 1G).
INTERPRETING THE DIAGRAM
The curved line at the left in Figure 2 represents liquid at saturation temperature. Absolute vapor
pressure is read on the vertical scale along the left side. Enthalpy (heat content) is read on the
bottom scale at a number of different temperatures. To the right is a curve representing saturated
vapor. This is vapor associated with liquid, and the type of vapor found in a refrigerant cylinder,
a condenser, or a flooded evaporator. All of the data to the right of this curve relate to
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SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
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SAM Chapter 620-28
Section 2A
The exact compression ratio of 8.790010868 would be difficult to use in basic calculations. So a
rounded-off figure of 8.79 is used in this example. The pressures at this point must be in psia.
Correct values can be taken directly from the chart. A compression ratio of 8.79 means that
discharge pressure is slightly less than nine times that of suction pressure. In other words, the
compressor must compress the refrigerant gas almost nine times to function efficiently under
these conditions. This poses no problem to ordinary reciprocating compressors. They can usually
handle compression ratios up to 15. When the ratio exceeds 10, however, a second-stage
compressor is recommended. Rotary compressors can deal with compression ratios up to 5,
centrifugal compressors up to about 3. The average compression ratio in large-capacity
centrifugal units is only about 1.5 or less in each stage.
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Section 2A
Point 2 indicates the condition of the refrigerant as it leaves the compressor discharge valve and
enters the condenser. Note that the refrigerant is a superheated gas at this point. Point 3
represents the condition of refrigerant as it leaves the condenser and enters the metering device.
In this example, the refrigerant is a saturated liquid. By necessity, Figure 4 illustrates the
simplest conditions possible. Several refinements would be needed to fit any actual refrigeration
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Section 2A
The values for latent heat at various temperatures become smaller as the temperature rises. The
critical temperature is the highest temperature at which liquid can exist. At this point, latent heat
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Section 2A
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Section 2A
REFRIGERANT VOLUME
Refrigerant volume is the measure of space occupied by refrigerant vapor. It is found easily in
the pressure-enthalpy diagram. Lines of constant volume are roughly horizontal lines on a
pressure-enthalpy diagram. In Figure 6, the volume for the saturated vapor in the example cycle
at 0° can be calculated as 2.16 ft3/lb.
REFRIGERANT CIRCULATED
Calculation established a net cooling effect of the example cycle from evaporation of one pound
of HFC-134a as 50.7 Btu/lb. This was based on data provided by the pressure-enthalpy diagram
in Figure 6. Total capacity of a system depends on how often this one pound of refrigerant can be
circulated through the evaporator. Capacity is generally expressed in either Btu per minute, Btu
per hour, or in tons of refrigeration. One ton of refrigeration is the amount of heat required to
melt one ton of ice in 24 hours. This amounts to 200 Btu per minute, or 12,000 Btu per hour. The
capacity requirement of the example system will be established as one ton.
Now we want to figure the amount of refrigerant that must be circulated every minute to produce
one ton of cooling under the conditions shown. This is easily calculated by using the net
refrigerating effect value from the pressure-enthalpy diagram in Figure 6. The formula is:
The answer is that 3.94 pounds of refrigerant must be circulated each minute for each ton of
refrigeration in this system.
COMPRESSOR DISPLACEMENT
Theoretical compressor size can also be found from a pressure-enthalpy chart or diagram.
Multiply the refrigerant circulated in pounds per minute by the volume of gas in cubic feet per
pound. This shows theoretical compressor displacement. The volume for the example system
was found from the pressure enthalpy diagram in Figure 6 to be 2.16 ft3/lb. The formula provided
in a subsequent paragraph established the refrigerant circulation rate to produce one ton of
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Section 2A
To simplify calculating in this example, the volume of saturated vapor was used. This would
never occur in practice, however. The superheated gas volume corresponding to a valid situation
could have been determined from the diagram in Figure 6. The method will be shown at a more
appropriate point in the text.
The last few sample pressure-enthalpy diagrams have given data used to research factors from
load, or capacity, to theoretical compressor size. With the same data, you could reverse these
steps. Starting with a theoretical compressor size, you could determine how much cooling it
would produce under a given set of conditions.
COMPRESSOR HEAT
After being circulated through the evaporator, the refrigerant gas flows to the compressor. There
it is compressed. At this point, entropy becomes a factor. When a refrigerant is compressed and
entropy remains the same, it is called adiabatic compression. This means that there is no flow of
heat away from or into the gas. Gas becomes hot during compression because molecules are
pushed together, producing an increase in temperature. Normally, when a refrigerant is
compressed, the entropy does not remain the same, but it is often close. The gas is heated from
the friction of moving parts and the restricted flow through small valves, etc. Heat also flows out
of the gas when the compressor gets hot and heat is lost by radiation. In many cases, these two
effects cancel each other out.
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Section 2A
For simplification, assume again that saturated vapor enters the compressor, and that
compression is adiabatic. Only with this assumption can the line of constant entropy in Figure 7
be used as the basis for calculations. The point to be reached on this line will depend on the
condenser in use.
The opening and closing of the compressor discharge valve depends on which side has the higher
pressure against it. On one side of the valve is the gas being compressed by the compressor. On
the other side is the pressure from the condenser. Whatever the temperature of the condensing
liquid, it will always have a corresponding vapor pressure. The pressure-enthalpy diagram in
Figure 7 shows that the pressure corresponding to liquid HFC-134a at 120°F is about 186 pounds
per square inch absolute (psia.) The pressure against which the compressor discharge valves
must open is controlled by the vapor pressure of the liquid in the condenser. This pressure will be
the same in the piping between the condenser and the compressor as it is within the condenser,
except for a slight correction for pressure drop in the piping. When the pressure in the
compressor reaches condenser pressure, the compressor work is, in effect, finished.
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Section 2A
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The most common way to state compressor power on a pressure-enthalpy diagram is horsepower
per ton of refrigeration. It is found by dividing the Btu per minute per ton by 42.43 Btu per
minute. For the example above, the compressor needs 1.91 horsepower to produce one ton of
refrigeration. Watts are used as the measure of electric power. Electric power can be found by
multiplying the horsepower by 746 watts per horsepower. This calculation assumes that the
motor is 100% efficient. In reality, the electric power needed will be greater, because the motor
will always be less than 100% efficient.
Currently, there is a trend to report equipment capacity in Btu per hour at a specified condition.
With Refrigerant HFC-134a, 1.91 horsepower of compression produces one ton of refrigeration
in the example shown. This is true only when the evaporator, condenser, superheating, and
subcooling are exactly as stated in the example. Changes in any of these temperatures or
pressures will change the horsepower required to produce one ton of refrigeration. To produce
the same amount of cooling at a lower evaporator temperature takes more horsepower if the
condensing temperature remains the same.
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Section 2A
Heat transfer from a gas is not as effective as from a condensing liquid. Thus, the amount of
superheat in the gas en route to the condenser is important to system capacity. Removing heat
from a gas could require several times the condenser surface used to take the same heat from a
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Section 2A
Figure 9 shows that latent heat remains the same, but net refrigeration effect is increased,
because the liquid entering the evaporator requires less cooling. Less compressor heat and power
are required since the gas is not compressed at as high a pressure. At 120°F condensing
temperature, 20.6 Btu/lb are added to the gas to compress it. At 100°F, only 17 Btu/lb are added.
As a result, discharge temperature will be lower and the amount of superheat in the gas will be
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Section 2A
The example in Figure 10 assumes that the liquid is subcooled 20°, from 120°F to 100°F. Figure
10 shows that this amount of subcooling removes 7.3 Btu/lb. The net refrigeration effect will be
the same as when the entire condenser is operated at 100°F. The compressor must still do the
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Section 2A
Some reaction has to take place when a gas is heated. The volume increases from 2.16 ft3/lb to
about 2.54 ft3/lb. The gas entering the compressor now has a different entropy. As a result, this
new value will follow a different line on the pressure-enthalpy diagram. Figure 11 shows that the
discharge temperature is considerably higher and directly relates to the superheat value. A
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Section 2A
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Section 2A
To find compressor power, multiply compression heat (Btu per pound) by the rate at which the
refrigerant circulates through the system (pounds per minute.) Subcooling the liquid has no effect
on heat of compression, but does reduce required horsepower. This is because fewer pounds of
refrigerant circulated produce the same refrigeration effect. In this example it is one ton, or 200
Btu per minute. Superheating the suction gas increases the horsepower requirement. In the
example, comparison horsepower is reduced slightly when there is both subcooling and
superheating. The amounts of subcooling and superheating were chosen to show the effect. They
do not necessarily correspond to a real situation. When condensing temperature is lower—for
example, 100°F— horsepower requirement is also much lower, as Table 1 shows.
The seventh line shows the compressor displacement in cubic feet per minute needed for various
capacity values. Displacement can be changed by changing either motor speed or compressor
size. Neither of these methods is common in the field. It is important to research other possible
remedies first.
VARYING CAPACITY VALUES WITH SAME DISPLACEMENT
The data in Table 2 assume that the compressor in the example Always operates at the same
speed. It also assumes a displacement of 8.5 ft3/min. Compression ratio depends on evaporating
and condensing temperatures. Therefore, the compression ratio should be and is the same as that
shown in Table 1. Net refrigeration effect in Btu per pound is also the same as shown before. The
rate at which refrigerant circulates now depends on what goes through the compressor.
Subcooling the liquid has no effect on the rate of circulation. Note what happens when the gas is
superheated. The rate of circulation is reduced due to the increased volume. Further comparison
shows that gas volumes are the same in both tables.
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Section 2A
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